A graduate student in literary studies, after reading the earlier post, writes:
A remark on the line [from the letter defending Prof. Ronell]: "We have all seen her relationship with students [...]" : Although I do not travel in the same circles, I have witnessed first hand Avital Ronell's behavior with her advisees during several conferences at NYU. To say that she cultivates a sexually- and erotically-charged environment would be a tremendous understatement. It is also a situation which is transparently fraught for undergraduate and graduate students and rife with potential for misunderstanding and conflict. While I know many who have thrived in this environment, I also know many who have suffered as a result of it. Obviously, none of this constitutes evidence concerning the case at hand (of which I know nothing), but it strains credibility to believe that those who are more familiar with the German Department at NYU -- such as many of the letter's signatories -- were not aware of this climate.
If this opinion reflects an accurate assessment, then the signatories to the letter are not simply entitled hypocrites. We shall see what comes to light.
UPDATE: Allen Feldman, Professor of Media, Culture & Communication at NYU, writes to strongly contest the preceding:
I have attended numerous conferences organized by Ronell and many of her classes and encountered nothing remotely akin to the description fabricated by this student. I for one do not consider Ronell’s dense readings of Heidegger, Holderlin, Kafka and Celan and other 19th century German romantics or 20th century German metaphysicians as ‘sexually charged.’ Ronell is known for her Freudian linguistic punning when teaching but the collective response of the audience is not titilation but rather laughter. If you do not take my word for the atmosphere in her classroom or conferences you can watch the numerous videos of her lectures and teaching on line.
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